This book is tough to classify. In it, Baek Sehee allows us in her private sessions with a psychiatrist as she seeks treatment for persistent mild depression. But it’s not simply a modern version of Analyze This – it’s also a journey into her mind outside of these sessions. After each meeting, we get to see how Sehee applies these sessions throughout the week. She possesses superior self awareness, noting that she has codependent tendencies and admitting that she often tells little white lies to come off as empathetic. It’s not quite a memoir…but it’s not quite resource material. Perhaps that’s what makes it work.
I love that the author included an epilogue from the psychiatrist’s point of view. It’s a perfect and succinct reminder that there are multiple sides to a story and always a different way of seeing something. I applaud Sehee for being so open, honest, and vulnerable. It is a frank, non-sensationalized portrayal of a racing, plagued mind. I have to believe many people feel just as she does but have been unable to articulate it.
4 out of 5 stars.
Pair with: Champagne cocktail made with bitters and a sugar cube
Peaches to Apples 